Adapting and finding solutions

Adapting and finding solutions in 2hrs. Wee hours and I was so tired from the long flight, and spent extra time in the Lost luggage office reporting. 

Initially my idea was to travel to Chicago with che-che with a small canvas bag. But with my luggage still in JFK, the foldable canvas bag is inside, I had no choice but to consider using my haversack. There was checked in luggage allowance for United Airlines but having just experienced the dreadful lost luggage, I wouldn’t want to risk having another luggage lost. 

Che-che offered to use the not-so-cute rabbits print cotton bag she has but it’s so obiang-looking 😂. 

Turning to use my haversack

ps. Did I mention before that I like Decathlon’s haversack? It doesn’t feel heavy at all. 

I feel it’s possible to travel for 3N with haversack. Others have backpacked for longer trips, so I am confident we can do it. But since I suggested it, I had to carry the bulk of the items 😂. It was heavier than usual tho coz all of her clothes and my pathetic clothes + toiletries are carried by me. I only made her carry her own bedroom slipper.

My luggage not with me. What do I have on me?

Coz I just came from a super long flight from SIN I still had :

1) 2 disposable panties left 

2) 8 panty liners 

3) Kiehls travel size calendula facial wash

4) Kiehls my ‘transferred for our usual toiletry bag’ Ultra facial overnight rehydrating masque. Yup! I used that onboard usually on long haul flights to hydrate my aged skin. Best thing is I don’t have to walk in cabin with a sheet mask and had to walk to toilet to wash it off. This masque is meant to be used overnight.  On this long flight, I brushed my teeth and washed up three times. The two times when I washed up I put on masque, the last time I washed up I was getting ready for landing so put on moisturiser. My face for that 16hrs 50mins flight didn’t get any water sucked out in the cabin. Feel boink boink, I love it! 

5) Kiehls travel size face moisturizer. No serum nothing at all 😭. 

6) Travel size toothpaste, my toothbrush, sample size Kiehls lip balm, sample size Aveda hand cream 

7) Cotton boat socks which thankfully (*) I threw into my haversack last minute before I left home as I had forgotten to pack it into my luggage bag. It came in useful after that! 

8) One set of clothes which is my fitness wear + leggings which I initially wanted to change out on the flight but didn’t coz it was so difficult for me to reach out to my bag with the seat infront of me reclined and the horrible Premium Economy seat with the huge armrest. So not sure if it was a blessing in disguise (*) coz if I did wear that onboard, I will have no immediate clothes to change to. I took out toiletries bag and left it in seat pocket

9) my LV shawl. Not sure what use it is for in such unfortunate situation. Infact I could use the huge shawl as a top. I would have created another top for me to mix-n-match with my jeans. 

10) my inflatable neck pillow which serves as a pillow when I slept for the 2 nights + 2 to 3hrs on 15th May at Che-che’s apartment.

What I packed for the Chicago trip

After my ‘24hrs later’ shower at che-che’s apartment, I’m only left with one last disposable panties. 

- Packed whatever I had on me except the neck pillow coz I’m going to a hotel with pillow provided. 

- Packed her clothings + undergarments + socks + toiletries. I had to borrow one set of  ‘home clothes’ from her. 

I love the compressible packing cube I had with me. The apparels were huge but I manage to compress everything. 

Became an ah-soh

Coz I didn’t have enough clothes with me. I had to air the clothes I wore onboard in che-che’s room and then wore it on the flight to Chicago,after spraying Febreze. Cheating! 

It’s uncomfortable for sure coz I know it’s dirty but I didn’t want to lug dirty clothes to handwash in Chicago while wearing another new clothes. I would have to handwash 2 sets of clothes on my first night in Chicago and then have to struggle with no clothes on the next full day there. Or panicking to dry the clothes in a haste.  

Adapting

As I didn’t have my bedroom slipper, I used my cotton boat socks as one. At least it kept my feet clean after my shower and walking around the room without any worries until I get into the bed. It’s comfortable too coz this boat socks had some arch cushion thingy. 

Didn’t want to pack any clothes detergent so made use of what they have provided in the room to do the washing. Smell not nice also 没办法. 

What I had to buy

1) Such inconvenience! I had to get at least 2 undergarments to last me for the trip. In the end, I got a box of 5 panties and 2 bras. I found this comfortable looklike-training bra in Target

Yah! What’s with the missing bra again? Always in the US 🇺🇸 ! 

2) With my portable charger depleting, I had to get a USB wall charger to charge my phone, watch and portable charger. Thankfully (*) all the wires are with me and not checked-in if not I’ll incur more expenditure. I usually put all my wires together with my travel adapter and check them in. 

Have you wondered why I had 3 times of ‘thankfully/blessing in disguise’ as shown with the (*)  I think it was a sign THAT I WOULD HAVE MY LUGGAGE LOST after so many years of flying ✈️. 

What I discovered 

When I was there and wore my new UA leggings for the first time, I realised that I can be wearing that for all my summer trips next time. The leggings is so comfortable and most importantly it’s thin, dries up real fast after a wash. I will have to drop by UA one day to see if they have other colours. 

As I was wearing my dryCELL fitness top, it was really so comfortable and non-sticky feeling as I did perspire a little in the cooling-yet-super sunny Chicago weather. I think maybe I can travel with just 3-4 fitness tops and 1 extra leggings (as they dry fast) in a haversack next time. Provided I don’t buy any souvenirs 🤣 or collect all the brochures aka rubbish, I might still be able to pack things in a haversack. Should I try that one day?